Flagellation massaging apparatus



June 19, 1962 w. BouDKx-:vlTcH ETAL 3,039,457

FLAGELLATION MASSAGING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 27, 1959 [lll/lll',

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United States Parent O Claims priority, application France Dec. 1, 1958Claims. (Cl. 12S-54) This invention relates to the art of massagingmuscles and joints of the human body by ilagella-tion exerted byflogging or scourging thongs, particularly for rejuvenating humantissues.

An object of the invention is to provide a new or improved massagingapparatus of this kind wherein the thongs are arranged in a novel way so-as to be utilizable under more efficient conditions than in devicesbelonging to the prior art and in various manners depending upon whetherflogging by the bundle of thongs is effected on the one or the otherside.

Another object of the invention is to provide a massaging apparatus asaforesaid made up of a plurality of flexible thongs forming a floggingweb so curved transversely as to present a convex surface on one sideand a concave surface on the other side.

A further object of the invention is to provide a massaging apparatus asaforesaid comprising a set or bundle of flexible thongs supported at oneend by a carrier and diverging fanwise toward their other end forimparting greater flexibility and efficiency to the flogging orscourging action exerted by the user when manipulating said carrier formassaging his own body or the body of another person.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a massagingapparatus as aforesaid having a simple structure and lending itself to aconvenient and cheap manufacture, the thongs being advantageously madeof a reinforced flexible or yielding substance such as spongy rubber,their individual reinforcements so merging with a reinforcement or corein the carrier as to provide a sturdy and yet resilient assembly.

With these and such other objects in view as will incidentally appearhereafter, the invention comprises the novel construction andcombination of parts that will now be described with reference to theaccompanying diagrammatic drawing exemplifying the same and forming apart of the present disclosure.

In the drawing:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of the entire massaging apparatus showingthe thong carrier and the bundle of thongs diverging therefrom.

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional View of the reinforced thong carrier.

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the thongs.

FIGURE 4 is a transverse sectional view of one of the thongs.

Like reference characters designate like parts throughout the severalviews.

As illustrated, the apparatus comprises primarily a carrier 1 forming ahandle adapted to support a plurality of finger-like flexible thongs 2having an inner supple reinforcement 3, said thongs forming a bundle orweb having a curved shape in the transverse direction and divergingfanwise from their inner ends i.e. from their ends adjacent to thecarrier 1 toward their outer or free ends. `Gne face D of the carrier 1is outwardly convex while its other face P is inwardly concave. Thisconcavoconvex arrangement repeats itself in the bundle of thongs 2.

Each thong 2 has a supple reinforcement such as 5 made for instance of aflexible metal strip or wire which may conveniently merge with thecarrier reinforcement 3 as shown by FIG. 3.

The arrangement of the bundle of thongs with a convex shape on one faceand a concave shape on the opposite face provides a novel effect becauseit enables the apparatus to be used in two different fashions, namelywhen the human body is flogged with the concave face P, as the thongsscourge the skin they are sequentially flexed and moved apart so thateach one of them has a tendency to stretch the skin by friction, therebyproviding a super- Vfcial kneading action which results in an efficientmassaging effect. Where, conversely, the human body is ilogged with theconvex face D, as the thongs scourge the skin they are brought closertogether into more compact form and thus -beat the muscles depthwise bya percussive action.

Practically, each thong 2 is made of an elastomer such yas spongy rubberor an equivalent supple and flexible material and is provided with aninner reinforcement 5 constituted by a flexible metal or other strip orwire extending over the major portion of its length, also with -a thinand supple covering 6 made for example of a suitable plastic. Thereinforcements 5 of the thongs may be welded, soldered, riveted orotherwise secured to the reinforcement or core 3 of the carrier 1.

As the spongy rubber of which the thongs are usually made is both softand compressible, the flogging action exerted on the skin is gentle.Moreover owing to the provision of its inner reinforcement 5, each thongpossesses adequate longitudinal suppleness. Finally owing to theprovision of the covering 6, each thong is protected from outerinfluences and can exert proper friction upon the users skin.

The carrier 1 may be made of any suitable material such as a moldableplastic. It may be eventually in one piece with the thongs Z. However itis preferably constituted by a rigid part forming a grip or handle madefor example of a hard plastic reinforced by an inner strip or blade 3,each thong being set into said carrier during the molding process,whereafter riveting of the thong core strips 5 to the carrier core strip3 can be eiected by usual methods.

Minor constructional details may be Varied without departing from thescope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A massaging apparatus adapted to operate by flagellation andcomprising a carrier made of a rigid plastic and provided with areinforcing core` and having a transversely curved outline, and aplurality of supple and flexible thongs held at one end by said carrierand extending fanwise therefrom toward their opposite free ends, eachthong having a reinforcing supple core extending over the major part ofits length and being made of an elastomer, said thongs being arranged inthe form of web-like bundle having a transverse curvature correspondingto that of the carrier, said bundle having a convex face on one sideland a concave face on the other side for exerting differentiatedflogging actions on the massaged body.

2. A massaging apparatus adapted to function by ilagellation andcomprising a carrier having a transversely curved outline and providedwith a reinforcing core strip, and a plurality of supple and flexiblethongs each provided With a flexible inner reinforcement and with acovering, said thongs being held at one end by said carrier andextending fanwise therefrom toward their opposite free ends, said thongsforming a web-like bundle having a transverse curvature matching that ofthe carrier, said bundle having a convex face on the one side and aconcave face on the other side for being able to exert differentiatedflogging actions on the massaged body.

3. A massaging apparatus adapted to function by flagellation andcomprising a rigid carrier forming a grip having a transversely curvedoutline and provided With a reinforcing core strip, and a plurality ofsupple land flexible thongs each made of spongy rubber and provided witha flexible inner Wire reinforcement imbedded in the rubber and with aplastic covering, said thongs being rmly set at one end into thematerial of the carrier and extending fanwise therefrom toward theiropposite free ends, the thong reinforcements being secured to thecarrier reinforcement, said thongs forming a Weblike bundle having atransverse curvature matching that of the carrier, said bundle having aconvex ltace on that side corresponding to the convex side of thecarrier and a concave face on that side corresponding to the concaveside of the carrier, said sides of said bundle permitting differentiatedflogging actions on the body being massaged by agellation.

4. A massaging apparatus adapted to operate by flagellation comprising acarrier with a handle and a plurality of elongated flexible rectilinearflogging thongs embedded at one end in the carrier and having theirother ends free, said rectilinear ogging thongs diverging LTI from eachother from their embedded ends towards their free ends in the form ofafan, the rectilinear flogging thongs lying in a surface of `a frustumof a cone and forming by their assembly in a position of rest a deviceconcave on one side and convex on the other.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, in which the carrier is of arcuateformation at and adjacent the portion thereof in which the rectilinearflogging thongs are embedded, Vand the assembly of thongs has a formwhich is a prolongation of the form of the carrier.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D.35,313 Wirt Nov. 26, 1901 D. 109,647 Rowley May 10, 1938 Y193,449 KlemmJuly 24, 1877 1,603,131 Mabie Oct. l2, 1926 1,706,862 Rickersberg Mar.26, 1929 1,909,754 Carlson May 16, 1933 FORElGN PATENTS 670,315 GermanyIan. 16, 1939 519,734 Italy Mar. 16, 1955

